Chapter 13

***

Gi-hyeon scowled fiercely.

Staring down at him, Jo Yeon-oh was grinning like an absolute idiot. Having clearly enjoyed a deeply restorative sleep right alongside him, Yeon-oh looked incredibly refreshed and was already fully dressed in athletic wear.

He had evidently woken up before Gi-hyeon and retrieved his belongings from the hotel concierge. His slightly damp bangs clung effortlessly to his forehead. Because his hair was incredibly thick and naturally wavy, he usually styled it meticulously slicked back, but the casual, morning-tousled look suited him dangerously well. The sheer, vibrant energy radiating from his face made him look breathtakingly handsome.

The glaring issue, however, was Gi-hyeon. Because he had slept entirely too well, he had awoken with a desperate urge to urinate, coupled with the entirely natural, healthy biological morning event guaranteed to plague any functioning Beta male. Yet, Jo Yeon-oh was currently standing directly in his path, grinning sadistically and completely refusing to vacate the bathroom.

“Get out of the way. Seriously.”

“Don’t want to.”

The petty refusal was a glaringly obvious retaliation for yesterday’s runaway attempt. Even though the Alpha was smiling, the dark, toxic undercurrent of his mood was palpable. Whenever Jo Yeon-oh reached this specific level of petty vindictiveness, he made it his absolute personal mission to ensure So Gi-hyeon suffered the exact same emotional turbulence.

Jo Yeon-oh absolutely despised it when So Gi-hyeon went off the grid without warning. If Gi-hyeon missed a call due to work, Yeon-oh would ruthlessly call two more times before immediately dialing the hospital’s main line to hunt him down. Every single time, Gi-hyeon was forced to frantically soothe the deeply displeased Alpha.

Yet, considering they had known each other for over a decade, Gi-hyeon found the Alpha’s obsessive need for immediate, petty revenge incredibly exhausting. Furthermore, the bastard was actively enjoying the torture. The sadistic smirk permanently glued to his face was undeniable proof.

“I really need to go, get out.”

“Just come in.”

When Gi-hyeon had merely been taking his pants off the other day, the Alpha had practically fled the room in horror, yet today he was issuing arrogant invitations. Gi-hyeon knew with absolute certainty that if he actually marched in and dropped his robe, Jo Yeon-oh would be the one violently short-circuiting in panic. However, Gi-hyeon couldn’t execute the bluff for one glaring reason: the aggressively erected problem threatening to pitch a tent through the thick fabric of his bathrobe.

This wasn’t born from sexual arousal; it was a purely mechanical, physiological response to morning blood flow. He literally had absolutely no control over it. Normally, he would just wait for it to subside, but the sheer volume of beer he had consumed last night made his bladder scream in agonizing distress.

“What the hell are you doing? Seriously, why are you acting like this?”

“I was downstairs working out earlier, and when I thought about all the absolute hell you put me through yesterday, I got pissed off all over again. What are you going to do if I die early from a stress-induced heart attack? You have to take responsibility.”

“Stop spewing absolute bullshit and get the hell out.”

Gi-hyeon shot him a look of profound, unadulterated disgust. Yeon-oh simply crossed his arms, snickering in sheer delight. Manager Yoo had evidently packed morning workout clothes alongside the pajamas in the overnight bag delivered last night.

Dressed in simple black training pants and a matching t-shirt emblazoned with a minimalist sports brand logo, Jo Yeon-oh possessed the breathtaking physique of an elite competitive swimmer. His rock-solid shoulders, thick upper arms, and heavily pumped chest were utterly flawless. However, considering Gi-hyeon was currently fighting a desperate battle against his own bladder, he possessed absolutely zero desire to admire the view.

Ultimately conceding defeat, Gi-hyeon turned his back. He planned to quickly change into his street clothes and use the public restroom down in the lobby. …I’ll just have to shove the erection down and desperately hope no one notices. Enduring that humiliating stealth mission was still infinitely preferable to standing here enduring the sadistic, teasing smirk of that absolute bastard.

The exact second Gi-hyeon turned his back, Jo Yeon-oh let out a loud bark of laughter and yanked him into a tight back-hug.

“Are you pouting? Where the hell do you think you’re going with your hair looking like a literal bird’s nest? All you have to do is say you’re sorry.”

Do I actually have a single fucking thing to apologize to you for? Swallowing the venomous retort, Gi-hyeon merely released a heavy sigh.

Satisfied that he had sufficiently tortured him, Yeon-oh chuckled and finally exited the bathroom. Gi-hyeon slammed the door shut with a violent bang and immediately stripped off his robe. Attempting to relieve himself while sporting a rock-hard erection was an agonizingly complex maneuver.

Furthermore, the fact that he was in a hotel room—separated from the Alpha only by a notoriously thin, completely un-soundproofed glass wall—made him intensely paranoid. Forced to employ tactical countermeasures, he cranked the sink faucet to the maximum before returning to the toilet. The urethra spasmed uncomfortably before finally releasing a pressurized stream. Gi-hyeon felt completely drained of energy, and it was barely morning.

After thoroughly washing his hands, Gi-hyeon turned on the shower. Thanks to his deeply restorative sleep, his face was comically swollen, making a hot shower an absolute necessity to de-puff. He had desperately wanted to spend today lounging in total peace, but merely bickering with Jo Yeon-oh for five minutes had completely annihilated his energy reserves.

Since it was the weekend, he was profoundly disappointed that Jo Yeon-oh didn’t have to go to work. If that bastard had been forced into the office, Gi-hyeon could have at least secured a few hours of absolute tranquility during the day.

Resigned to his fate, Gi-hyeon scrubbed himself down under the spray. Since he had thoroughly bathed last night, a quick rinse was perfectly sufficient. Finally, he switched the dial to freezing cold water, standing directly under the icy blast until the aggressively engorged blood vessels twitched a few times and finally, blessedly, subsided.

When the Alpha had massaged him previously, Gi-hyeon had been intensely humiliated and desperate to hide his arousal. However, since morning wood was a universal, unavoidable biological function, he hadn’t even bothered trying to conceal it this morning. Yet, Yeon-oh’s gaze hadn’t dropped below Gi-hyeon’s waistline a single time.

He had clearly actively avoided looking. It was glaringly obvious. Jo Yeon-oh possessed a terrifyingly consistent habit of treating Gi-hyeon as if he were a mannequin entirely devoid of genitals. Acknowledging the bleak reality with cynical detachment, Gi-hyeon turned off the shower, vigorously toweled off, and grabbed his robe. Cracking the bathroom door open slightly, he called out.

“Jo Yeon-oh. Did Manager Yoo happen to bring any extra clothes for me?”

The room responded with absolute, dead silence.

“Jo Yeon-oh.”

He called out a second time, met with the exact same void. Confused, Gi-hyeon stepped fully out of the bathroom to investigate.

“What the…”

The suite was completely empty. Absolute silence was his only greeting. Deeply confused, Gi-hyeon vigorously dried his hair with the towel as he scanned the room. Suddenly, he clicked his tongue in profound annoyance.

“Why the hell is that…”

The entire wall separating the shower stall from the bedroom was constructed entirely of frosted glass. The hazy, distinct silhouette of Gi-hyeon showering would have been glaringly visible from the bed. Gi-hyeon scowled fiercely. Because he had been completely alone last night, he hadn’t even noticed the architectural trap.

“Hah…”

A heavy sigh tore from his throat.

It was absolutely guaranteed that Jo Yeon-oh had fled the room precisely to avoid witnessing that silhouette. Plunged into a sudden, deep pit of self-loathing, Gi-hyeon yanked his robe tightly shut and face-planted directly onto the mattress.

…I don’t know anymore. Who cares if he saw a little bit?

According to Jo Yeon-oh’s own logic, they hadn’t grown up together like brothers. While Gi-hyeon had long abandoned that innocent delusion, Jo Yeon-oh clearly still clung to the family dynamic. Seeing his ‘brother’ naked wouldn’t suddenly incite visceral disgust. Furthermore, even if their title as ‘lovers’ was an empty shell, Yeon-oh possessed enough self-awareness to know that being openly repulsed by his partner’s naked body was incredibly abnormal.

While Gi-hyeon fully understood the exact nature of Jo Yeon-oh’s revulsion toward Betas, the silhouette exposure had been completely unintentional, earning him a valid plea of extenuating circumstances. Desperately forcing his brain to accept that rationalization, Gi-hyeon simply closed his eyes. Since Jo Yeon-oh had conveniently vacated the premises, he decided to capitalize on the opportunity and immediately go back to sleep.

An indiscriminate amount of time passed before Gi-hyeon was violently jolted awake by a sudden, heavy weight flopping directly onto his head. He must have dozed off completely.

“Put those on and come out.”

A pile of fabric had been unceremoniously dumped directly over his face, entirely obscuring the identity of the person speaking. Groggy and completely disoriented, Gi-hyeon slowly sat up. The exact second he did, the heavy thud of the suite door slamming shut echoed through the room.

“…”

Desperately blinking his eyes to clear the heavy fog of sleep, Gi-hyeon finally reached up and yanked the fabric off his head. It was a crisp dress shirt and a pair of slacks.

“I mean, the clothes are great… but you could have at least bought me some underwear…”

Still half-asleep, he grumbled the complaint into the empty room just as the doorbell chimed. Confused, he dragged himself to the door and pulled it open to find Manager Yoo standing in the hallway.

“Good morning, Mr. So.”

“Ah, yes… Director Jo already left, though?”

“Yes, he is currently waiting for you in the Korean restaurant downstairs.”

Waiting for what? Gi-hyeon’s brow involuntarily shot up before smoothing out into a mask of weary acceptance. Jo Yeon-oh had clearly unilaterally booked a table at the hotel’s premium Korean restaurant and was now demanding his presence. Releasing a heavy sigh, Gi-hyeon confirmed he understood. Why couldn’t he just call me? Why did he force Manager Yoo to come all the way up here? Being forced to work on the weekend solely to manage his tyrannical boss’s interpersonal relationships was a cruel fate. Gi-hyeon felt profoundly sorry for the man.

Desperate to minimize the secretary’s workload, Gi-hyeon thanked him for his hard work and prepared to shut the door. Just before the latch clicked, Manager Yoo thrust a small, sleek black shopping bag forward.

“What is this?”

“It’s underwear. The Director specifically instructed me to deliver it directly to you, Mr. So.”

Gi-hyeon accepted the bag in absolute, stunned silence. …So, what exactly was the profound, psychological reason for forcing Manager Yoo to hand-deliver the underwear instead of just dropping it on my head with the rest of the clothes? Gi-hyeon clicked his tongue. He knew exactly why. The Alpha had been so viscerally disturbed by the hazy silhouette of Gi-hyeon’s naked body through the frosted glass that he physically couldn’t bring himself to handle the undergarments meant to cover it.

Swallowing a massive, suffocating sigh, Gi-hyeon forced a polite, strained smile, thanked Manager Yoo once more, and firmly shut the door.

Inside the sleek black bag was a pair of underwear from the exact brand Gi-hyeon exclusively wore. The fact that the Alpha had possessed the meticulous, obsessive attention to detail to ensure the brand matched amidst his absolute panic was completely staggering.

…What exactly do you truly want from me? Gi-hyeon found himself violently forced to confront questions he had spent years aggressively avoiding.

Why did Jo Yeon-oh insist on remaining by his side? Why did he endure so much agonizing discomfort and go to such extreme, obsessive lengths for a lover who had violently betrayed their lifelong friendship? And simultaneously, why did he relentlessly tighten his suffocating grip around Gi-hyeon’s throat, punishing the traitor with absolute, unyielding control?

“…You psychotic bastard.”

Gi-hyeon hurled the shopping bag violently onto the mattress. Burying his face securely in his palms, he aggressively scrubbed his skin, but the suffocating weight crushing his chest refused to lift. Gi-hyeon was exhausted. So incredibly, profoundly exhausted.

***